Coacervation of resilin fusion proteins containing terminal functionalities

[Display omitted] •The coacervate size could be modulated by pH, temperature and salt concentration.•The 3D structure of coacervate particles was revealed by electron microscopy.•The terminal functionalities determine the adhesive properties of coacervate. Liquid-liquid phase transition known as coacervation of resilin-like-peptide fusion proteins containing different terminal domains were investigated. Two different modular proteins were designed and produced and their behavior were compared to a resilin-like-peptide without terminal domains. The size of the particle-like coacervates was modulated by the protein concentration, pH and temperature. The morphology and three-dimensional (3D) structural details of the coacervate particles were investigated by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) and tomography (cryo-ET) reconstruction. Selective adhesion of the coacervates on cellulose and graphene surfaces was demonstrated.